Eva Mozes Kor Remembered

Eva Mozes Kor (pictured left) and her sister were prisoners who survived the NAZI concentration camp in Auschwitz. The rest of their family did not. Eva received the Sachem Award from Governor Eric Holcomb (pictured right).

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The CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute says details on public memorial services for Eva Mozes Kor will be released at a future date. Kor passed away July 4 in Poland during the annual CANDLES trip. The museum says it will reopen Tuesday and invites visitors to pay their respects to Kor.

Kor and her family were taken in 1944 to the Auschwitz concentration camp where she and her twin sister Miriam were subjected to experiments by the Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele. The two were among 200 twins rescued from Auschwitz in 1945. In 2017, Governor Eric Holcomb presented Kor with the state’s highest honor, the Sachem Award.

Holcomb described Kor as "the living embodiment of true compassion" when he announced the award. Kor founded CANDLES, which stands for Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors, in 1984 and established the Terre Haute museum 11 years later.

Following news of her passing, tributes came pouring in for Kor.

Governor Eric Holcomb:

The world just lost a giant with Eva Kor’s passing. Janet and I loved and adored her. Everywhere she went, Eva brought light into darkness and provided comfort to those in pain unlike anyone we’ve ever met. From her against all odds survival as a young girl in Auschwitz to her peace spreading message based from home in Terre Haute, Indiana, her relentless and optimistic example inspired the world. Her angelic spirit will live on in the countless souls she saved from ongoing confusion and torment. Janet and I are reminded just how blessed we are to have her as a friend. We will miss her laughter, her wisdom and her passion. We call on every Hoosier to look above on this Independence Day and say a prayer for Eva and the family and nation she leaves behind.

Deborah Curtis, president of Kor’s alma mater, Indiana State University:

Eva stands as one of the tallest and strongest Sycamores. Our Indiana State family is devastated at the news of her passing, but we know her legacy of forgiveness will live on for generations to come. 

You can learn more about Kor and the CANDLES museum by clicking here and in the video below, courtesy of our partners at WFYI.